2006 apportionment giving sets record

Payment percentage
for Southwest Texas
matches 20-year high

Southwest Texas Conference congregations gave a record $9.32 million to connectional ministries beyond the local church during 2006.
That total was $365,020 more than churches paid on apportionments in 2005, the Office of Finance and Administration reported Jan. 12.
The 95.96 percent remittance rate tied the highest portion of apportioned funds received over the past 20 years, said the Rev. David A. Seilheimer, conference treasurer.
“Since 1987,” Seilheimer said, “the percentage of apportionments given has ranged from a low of 91.64 percent in 1988 to a high of 95.96 percent in both 2002 and 2006.”
Congregations paid 95.63 percent of the apportioned asking in 2005.
“Giving was excellent in each district,” Seilheimer said. “San Angelo and Kerrville led all districts in percent given with 100 percent while San Antonio and Austin led the districts with total dollars given.”
Total giving to apportionments and designated second-mile causes, such as special offerings and Advance Specials, slipped from $11.74 million in 2005 to $10.56 million in 2006.
“Giving to second-mile causes, which had surged during 2004 and 2005 with disaster response giving, came down but shows the great generosity and concern for ministries beyond the local church that has always characterized the Southwest Texas Conference,” Seilheimer said.
Of the 344 Southwest Texas congregations, 309—or 90 percent—paid their 2006 apportionments in full. That number is up from 302 in 2005 and 301 in 2004.
Five congregations sent in more than 100 percent of their share of expenses for ministries across the state, nation and world. Skidmore UMC in the Corpus Christi District paid 104 percent of its apportionments. First UMC, Aransas Pass; Bruni UMC; Grace UMC, Corpus Christi; and Oak Meadow UMC, San Antonio, all sent in 101 percent
Thirty-four congregations submitted at least part of their share of conference and denominational ministry expenses. Partial contributions ranged from 4 to 93 percent.
One congregation—First UMC, Ganado—gave nothing.
All congregations in the Kerrville and San Angelo districts paid 100 percent of their 2006 apportionments.
Nineteen congregations increased their 2006 payments on apportionments at least 10 percent over 2005:
> Telferner UMC—up 57 percent to 100 percent.
> Memorial UMC, Austin—up 50 percent to 100 percent.
> First UMC, Nixon—up 50 percent to 100 percent.
> Northern Hills UMC, San Antonio—up 48 percent to 100 percent.
> Ingleside UMC—up 48 percent to 100 percent.
> Faith United Church, Woods-boro—up 41 percent to 100 percent.
> First UMC, Alice—up 37 percent to 100 percent.
> First UMC, Edna—up 35 percent to 100 percent.
> St. Luke’s UMC, Corpus Christi—up 29 percent to 100 percent.
> Parker Lane UMC, Austin—up 28 percent to 100 percent.
> Leander UMC—up 27 percent to 100 percent.
> Spring Creek UMC, Fair Oaks Ranch—up 25 percent to 67 percent.
> First UMC, Bastrop—up 24 percent to 78 percent.
> St. Matthew’s UMC, San Antonio—up 23 percent to 100 percent.
> St. Paul UMC, San Antonio—up 21 percent to 100 percent.
> Asbury UMC, San Antonio—up 19 percent to 100 percent.
> First UMC, Pleasanton—up 17 percent to 100 percent.
> John Wesley UMC, Victoria—up 14 percent to 37 percent.
> Island in the Son UMC, Corpus Christi—up 11 percent to 81 percent.

 

Giving to five of the six annual denominationwide special offerings was up during 2006 compared to 2005:
> One Great Hour of Sharing—$74,173, up from $59,917.
> World Communion Sunday—$24,329, up from $19,338.
> United Methodist Student Day—$9,138, up from $6,937.
> Native Awareness Sunday—$7,120, up from $5,319.
> Human Relations Day—$5,998, up from $4,387.
Only the Peace with Justice Sunday collection was down from 2005—$9,239 compared to $9,457.
Support for the conferencewide Harvest Sunday anti-hunger offering in 2006 totaled $31,964, up from $27,829 in 2005.
Southwest Texans gave $134,226 last year to the special Bishops’ appeal to help rebuild United Methodist facilities along the Gulf Coast following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.
Church members gave more than $95,000 to the United Methodist Committee on Relief for various disaster-response causes in the United States and overseas.
The Conference Disaster Response Fund (Advance 2050) received $2,705 during 2006 for ongoing disaster relief in Southwest Texas. That was down from $91,119 in 2005 and $5,042 in 2004.
The most popular second-mile cause during 2006 was the Stepping Out in Faith Campaign for renovations at Mount Wesley Conference Center in Kerrville. That cause received $283,213.